Goddess of the Rose (Goddess Summoning #4)(96)

"We have a lot of work to do. We need to move fast, and we need to be focused. The disease that is killing the roses must be stopped, and I give you my word that I know how to stop it." She paused as a sigh of relief rippled through the crowd. "They'll be no dividing into the four groups this time. All of us need to focus on the area closest to the rose gate and work our way out from there. First, I want buckets of the strongest wine we have brought out to the gardens." She saw the looks of surprise on the women's faces, and it almost made her smile. "What you are going to do is to cut the diseased roses down to the ground. Then take the canes and pile them outside the rose wall, where Floga will burn them. As you move from bush to bush, be sure to dip your shears in the buckets of wine. It will help stop the disease from spreading to parts of the plants that have not been infected. Your shears must be razor sharp, and you need to make each cut at an angle." Her eyes passed around the group, looking confidently into the women's eyes. "Are there any questions?"

No one spoke.

"Then let's get to work." The women hurried off in groups to gather cutting tools and wine, and Mikki turned to face her handmaidens. "I wasn't exaggerating. We have to work hard and fast. The disease is spreading at an unnatural rate." Her eyes found Asterius in the shadows. "Asterius, as much as I don't like the idea of opening that damned gate, my instincts tell me that burning the sick roses inside the realm would be a terrible mistake."

"Then we follow your instincts, Empousa," he said. "And I will be there to guard the open gate."

"I know you will. That's why I'm not afraid to open it." She smiled at her handmaidens and had to work hard to keep the tears from her eyes. "And I know each of you will do whatever it takes to help heal the roses. I'm proud of you, and I believe in you. The Realm of the Rose will thrive again, I promise."

"We believe you, Empousa," Gii said. She walked to Mikki and kissed her gently on the cheek before curtseying and hurrying out to the roses.

"We trust you, Empousa," Aeras said. She, too, kissed Mikki before dropping into the familiar, graceful curtsey and departing.

The Water Elemental walked forward to take her turn kissing the High Priestess, but Mikki's question made her pause.

"Nera, I seem to remember that someone told me that the fountain" - Mikki nodded her head in the direction of the massive water feature that bubbled and frothed beside Hecate's Temple - "is the main source of irrigation for the realm. Is that true?"

"Yes, Empousa."

"So water in those troughs actually reaches all the rose beds?"

"Of course, Empousa." Nera smiled and continued. "Before you commanded my element to visit every fourth morning, it rarely rained here."

Mikki made herself return Nera's warm smile. "Thank you. That's good to know."

"We support you, Empousa," Nera said. She kissed Mikki and then departed.

"We love you, Empousa," Floga said. The last to kiss Mikki, Floga hesitated before curtseying. A tear trailed slowly down her smooth cheek as the Elemental said, "Forgive me for doubting you, Empousa. As my element, I am sometimes too rash and my thoughts burn too brightly."

Mikki hugged her. "There's nothing to forgive," she whispered.

When they were alone, Mikki went to Asterius and stepped into his arms. For just a moment, she let herself absorb his strength and his love, knowing the peace that comes with finding that one person to whom you were meant to be bound. But she didn't allow him to hold her for long. She couldn't.

TIME surprised Mikki by passing slowly. Maybe it was because the work of cutting the rotting, diseased roses and dragging them outside the wall to their pyre was so damn hard and depressing. Or maybe it was because Mikki's mind couldn't stop thinking about what the future held. Either way, it seemed that several eternities had passed in that one, endless day. Mikki had fallen into a hypnotic rhythm of cut - dip - cut - dip, so she was surprised to look up and see that, finally, the sky had darkened enough for Floga to light the torches up and down the rose wall.

"Gii," she called to the Earth Elemental, who hurried to her side, smiling even though her eyes were bruised with shadows and her arms were pink with thorn scratches. "That's all we can do today. Have the women finish dragging what they've cut through the gate, and let's call it a day."

"Yes, Empousa," Gii said, looking relieved.

Mikki didn't blame her. Her own shoulders were aching and her hands were bruised and sore from the shears. Thankfully, they were razor sharp - a group of women had spent the day doing nothing but sharpening and re-sharpening blades. Mikki glanced down at the shears. Carefully, she dipped them in the bucket of wine and then cleaned them in the grass before hiding them at the base of the rose she'd just finished pruning.

"The women are finishing their tasks as you commanded, Empousa."

Gii's voice made Mikki jump guiltily, which she covered with a small laugh. Then she took the handmaiden's arm and said, "Walk with me a little?"

"Of course," Gii said.

They walked together silently, taking a meandering path back toward the rose gate. Mikki was satisfied by what she saw in the rose beds. The diseased bushes had been purged. It looked stark now, but she knew that in the spring they would grow back and be healthier and hardier than before. Roses were survivors - not the delicate fainting flowers too many people believed them to be. Mikki knew better. She knew about hidden strength and resilience. Too often people had misjudged her, discounting her as a pretty face and nothing more, or worse, considered her opinions inconsequential because she was "only" a woman. She thought about Asterius. He, too, had been misjudged, solely on his appearance. Little wonder they fit so well together.